Improvement in stamp-cancelers



UNITED .STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FRANKLIN V. BROOKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STAMP-CANCELERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 111,038, dated January 17, 1871.

I, FRANKLIN W. Bnoons, of the city, county, and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Process and Apparatus for Preventing the Fraudulent Reuse of Revenue and other Stamps, of which invention the following is a specification:

Nature and Objects of the Intention.

My device consists, essentially, of two platesone to be permanently attached to a barrel or other object to which a stamp or seal is to be applied; the other adapted to be looked upon the face of the first by means of spring catch or catches, so arranged that, by slipping the movable plate in a circular, rectilinear, or other direction over the face of the stationary one, the spring-catches will be released. One, or preferably each, of these plates is provided with pins projecting from. its face into grooves in the face of the other, so that a stamp placed between the plates will be pierced by the said pins, and will be torn and defaced by the sliding movement necessary to release one plate from the other. The lower plate, when intended for use with barrels, will be made of annular form, to surround the bung-hole, which is to be protected by the stamp. The upper plate may be of any convenient form to adapt it to operate, in connection with the lower 011e, in the manner described, and to expose the stamp for inspection when in position.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure l is a plan or top View of the lower or permanent plate, in which spring-catches are employed. Fig. 2 represents a section of the same at x x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an underside view of a pair of the upper plates, which may be used in connection therewith. Fig. 4 represents a section thereof at y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan or top view of the device applied in connection with a stamp. Fig. 6 is a section thereof at z z, Fig. 5.

General Description.

I will proceed to describe my invention as v applied to barrels, and from this the mode of using it upon other packages or for other purposes will be clearly understood.

B may represent a part of a barrel, and b the bung thereof, which is to be covered with a revenuestamp.

O is an annular plate surrounding the bung b, and permanently fixed to the barrel by screws c, or barbed nails, or other adequate means. In the illustration given in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the plate O is formed at each end with two intersecting slots, D D, forming a cross, beneath each of which is arranged a pair of catches, E `E, which are pressed together by spiral or other springs F F..

G G G represent a number of grooves or slots at each end ofthe plate C, in curves concentric with the respective` cross-slots D. Between the grooves G are ranges of pins H, projecting upward from the face of the plate, and also arranged in curves concentric with the slots D.

I I are upper or cap plates, which are made to it the endsof the plate C, and formed with arms i t', which may form together a continuous central bar, connecting the end plates, I, in one. On the under side of the plates I are grooves G', to fit over the pins H of the lower plate and pins Il', which project down into the grooves Gr ofthe lower plate. The upper plates, I, are also vprovided with hasps J, of the form represented in Figs. 3 and 4, having barbs j j on two sides, to adapt them to be caught and retained by the catches E, but to be released if the plates I I be turned at right angles from their orlgin al positions. lf the said plates be made in one by a connecting-bar, t', the said bar may be formed with notches or recesses i2, to adapt it to be readily cut or broken. It' a single end pla-te, I, or two disconnected plates, are used, the end of each arm t' may be secured by a screw passed through a hole, i, into the bung.Y

S represents a government stamp, and K a protecting-sheet, of tin or other metal, covering its central part. Both are placed in position before setting'the upper plates, I.

The stamp may extend in area about to the extremities of the plat-es C and I 5 or, if a single end plate, I, is used, the stamp may simply cover the bnn g and one end of the permanent plate C, the other part of the said plate C being dispensed with.

The protecting-sheet K is made smaller, so as to clear the pins H II. Its edges may be lightly tacked down to the barrel to retain it in position, and admit of readily raising it when needful to inspect the stamp.

il c" represent apertures in the plates I, through which parts of the stamp may be inspected. It is the intention to place on these or other parts of the stamp marks of suoli a character that they cannot be precisely imitated, but may be correctly represented by photography.

Operation.

The plate C is permanently fixed to the barrel, surrounding or adjacent to the bung-hole or any opening which is to be protected by a stamp, and remains in position permanently, while the barrel may be emptied and refilled as often as required.

Inow proceed to describe the manner of using the particular forni of my invention, which is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The barrel being filled and bunged up, the stamp S is stuck over the bung b and plate C.' The protecting-sheet K is then placed over the central part of the stamp and lightly tacked down at its ends. Lastly, the capplates I (one or more) are applied, the pins H and hasps J puncturing the stamp, and the hasps being held by the spring-catches E; and in case a single or two separate plates are used, the armst are secured by screws at t3. The stamp is thus securely held and protected from injury, while the barrel or other package may be rolled or handled in any necessary way. The stamp may at any time be inspected through openings il in the cap-plate I, and, further, by raising the ends of the protectingsheet K; but it cannot be removed without first removing the cap-plates I, and this cannot be done without turning them one-quarter round.

When it is desired to gain access to the bung-hole or other opening which has been sealed by the stamp, the arms t' are released by severing them, if connected; otherwise by withdrawing the screws. The cap-plates I may then be turned at right angles to their original positions. This action causes the stamp to be Vtorn in every direction by the two sets of pins H and H', which project through it from above and below. The cap-plates and the sheet K are then removed; but the stamp cannot possibly be used again.

Claim. 

